Methane emissions from fossil fuels remain at stubbornly high levels, but efforts to bolster data collection and monitor methane leaks are progressing, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reveals.

Record global production of oil, gas and coal, along with limited mitigation efforts to date, have kept methane emissions from the energy sector worldwide above 120-million tonnes a year, the IEA’s ‘Global Methane Tracker 2025’ report shows.

Additionally, the IEA estimate is considerably higher than the levels implied by official reporting, but data transparency is improving. There are now more than 25 satellites in orbit that can provide vital insights.

Very large leaks from oil and gas facilities detected by satellites rose to a record high in 2024, the IEA says.

New analysis also found that abandoned oil and gas wells and coal mines together contributed about eight-million tonnes to global methane emissions in 2024. Taken together, these sources would be the world’s fourth-largest emitter of fossil fuel methane.

Further, according to the report, an estimated 70% of yearly methane emissions from the energy sector could be avoided with existing technologies.

Moreover, a significant share of abatement measures could pay for themselves within a year, since the gas that is captured can be resold, the IEA notes.

Meanwhile, the analysis finds a huge range in methane emissions intensities across different countries and companies, with the best outperforming the worst by a factor of 100. Raising awareness and spreading readily available best practices are essential to narrow this gap, the organisation says.

Also, current methane reduction pledges by companies and countries cover 80% of global oil and gas production; however, only about 5% of global oil and gas output demonstrably meets a near-zero methane emissions standard, the IEA notes.

The report finds that addressing methane emissions and flaring would improve energy security by creating additional natural gas supply.

Methane abatement could have made an estimated 100-billion cubic metres of natural gas available to markets in 2024, which is on par with Norway’s total gas exports.

A further 150-billion cubic metres of natural gas is flared globally each year, the majority of which is part of routine practices and can be avoided.

Based on current policies, deploying targeted methane mitigation solutions in the fossil fuel sector would prevent a roughly 0.1 °C rise in global temperatures by 2050. This is comparable to eliminating all the CO₂ emissions from heavy industry worldwide, the IEA states.

Methane abatement is a crucial opportunity to reduce near-term global warming at a time when temperatures worldwide have set record highs for two years in a row, says IEA executive director Fatih Birol.

“Tackling methane leaks and flaring offers a double dividend, as it alleviates pressure on tight gas markets in many parts of the world, thereby enhancing energy security, and lowers emissions.

“However, the latest data indicates that implementation on methane has continued to fall short of ambitions. The IEA is working to ensure that governments and industry have the tools and knowledge they need to deliver on pledges and achieve the goals they have set,” he adds.